Elephant Handling Course

Day 1

Arrival day:

In Chiang Mai we will pick you up at the airport or hotel. We travel by car to our village “Mae Sapok”, which is located about 60 km southwest of Chiang Mai, on the edge of Doi Inthanon National Park. This is where your accommodation is located, the starting point for the program of Elephant Special Tours. From Chiang Mai International Airport, it takes about an hour by car to get to us. If you arrive in the morning, we can arrange a tour of our camp and the elephants.

Day 2

Training course in our own elephant camp:

You will receive an introduction to the behavior and lifestyle of elephants. Accompanied by your English-speaking guide, you will learn the basics of elephant guiding. You get to know “your” elephant, with whom you will spend the next two weeks.
After lunch at the elephant camp, the program includes bathing your elephant in the river and a ride into the surrounding forests. In the afternoon, you will visit a village of the Karen hill tribe, to which our elephant guides also belong. We introduce you to the Karen way of life with impressive excursions and in-depth background knowledge.
In the evening, you will learn about the anatomy of elephants at a film screening.

Day 3

Excursion to the elephant hospitals and the state protection program as well as a visit to the temple

In Lampang, you will visit the largest elephant conservation camp in Thailand. In addition to a unique talent show by the elephants living there, a project will also be presented that has developed a process for making paper from elephant dung. This is followed by a visit to a state and a private elephant hospital, where different approaches are used to care for sick animals. In the afternoon, we visit an exotic food market where there is plenty to discover. Afterwards, you will travel to the important Buddhist temple complex “Wat Phra That Hariphunchai” in Lamphun.
After dinner, it is again possible to watch a movie about elephants.

Day 4

Training course at the elephant camp:

Together with the mahouts, you will pick up the elephants from their feeding grounds in the forest. You will gain an insight into the basics of working with elephants. In addition to the fun of bathing with the animals, this also includes independent riding on the elephants’ necks, of course under the precise guidance of your English-speaking elephant trainer. In the afternoon, visit a royal agricultural project and the Mae Sapok waterfall.

Day 5

Excursion to Chiang Mai Zoo and the famous monastery “Wat Doi Suthep”:

Experience the Asian animal world during a visit to the zoo. This is followed by a visit to the famous Buddhist temple “Wat Doi Suthep”, which is located above the city of Chiang Mai and offers a wonderful view of the metropolis. In the evening, Thailand’s largest night market offers the opportunity to find special gifts for home. We end the day in a traditional Thai restaurant.

Day 6

Training course at the elephant camp:

You will gain an insight into how an elephant works in the jungle. Under the guidance of your elephant trainer, you can ride independently on the elephant’s neck using the commands you have learned. As on the other days, you will travel through the beautiful mountains and valleys of northern Thailand, which will leave a very special impression.

Day 7

Excursion to two very special temples near our village:

You will visit two very different temple complexes. Experience the spirituality of the centuries-old mountain monastery “Wat Luang”. The monastery lies deep in the forest and is rarely visited by tourists. Here you can explore the grounds at your leisure and take in the meditative surroundings. The two large wooden Buddhas made from a tree trunk are particularly impressive. After lunch, drive to the monastery complex “Wat Hui Thong”, which was built by the Karen tribe. See why the monastery is also known as the “Temple of a Thousand Buddhas”. The monastery is situated on a mountain: enjoy the wonderful view over the valley.

Day 8

Training course at the elephant camp:

Together with your mahouts, you will pick up the elephants from the vicinity of the camp, where they have spent the night sleeping and eating. The riding excursions through the region are now increasingly designed to consolidate the commands learned and to prepare for the final exam at the end of the two-week tour. Your elephant trainer will help you to ride independently on the elephant’s neck. You will also learn how to stack tree trunks with your elephants. This traditional work requires a close symbiosis between man and animal – we naturally pay attention to the physical requirements of our guests and present this highlight of elephant guiding in a slow and gentle manner. It is based on centuries of cooperation between the elephants and local people – a tradition that is rarely observed today. In the evening we can show you a movie about working with elephants in the former logging industry in Thailand.

Day 9

Training course at the elephant camp:

With the help of your elephant trainer, you can now stack the tree trunks with your elephant. You will learn how to put on the harness for pulling logs. They now learn how elephants have been fetching wood from the forest for centuries. Bathing with the elephants concludes this day at the elephant camp. Then experience the beauty of nature on a spectacular hike along the remote mountain river down into the valley. The route takes us past fantastic waterfalls, across rice fields and through bamboo thickets.

Day 10

Excursion to the highest mountain in Thailand, the “Doi Inthanon” and the surrounding national park:

You will stand at the highest point (2565 meters) in Thailand and visit the tomb of the last king of the Kingdom of Chiang Mai, which is located on this mountain. See the evergreen cloud forest, where the trees are covered with orchids and moss. A magnificent waterfall is also part of the program, on the slope of which we follow the course of the water together on a hike.

Day 11

Training course at the elephant camp:

Together with the mahouts, you will fetch the elephants from their night-time feeding grounds in the forest. You will ride your elephant independently using the commands you have learned. To clean and refresh the elephants, you go for a swim with the animals. Under the guidance of your elephant trainer, you will consolidate the basics you have learned when putting on the harness. You can now work independently with your elephant on the wood. After lunch at the camp, you have the opportunity to spend an individual hour with your elephant. In the afternoon you have the opportunity to go down the nearby Mae Wang River on a bamboo raft with a guide.

Day 12

Cultural excursion to the handicraft center of Baan Tawai:

You drive to Baan Tawai to get to know the traditional handicraft center of northern Thailand, where furniture and utensils made from teak wood are offered. In the afternoon, visit the handicraft workshops in the village of Bo Sang, where traditional umbrellas are made from paper and silk. At the end of the day, we will get to know a very special temple, which offers one of the most spectacular cave systems in the area alongside wild monkeys.

Day 13

Training course with presentation of the driver’s license and closing party at the camp:

Experience the last activities with your elephant in the camp. Show your elephant trainer and your mahout what you have learned about handling elephants during your days with us. Prove to yourself the talent with which you can steer your elephant. At the end of the program you will receive your elephant driving license by participating in the “Elephant Driving License Trip”. Afterwards, we will celebrate your graduation together with the mahouts at a lavish party in the elephant camp.

Day 14

Departure day:

We will take you back to the airport or to your hotel in Chiang Mai on time.

✓ Drinking water

✓ Full board

✓ English-speaking tour guide

✓ Transfer from / to Chiang Mai

not included:

– Lemonades, fruit juices, alcoholic beverages

– Personal pocket money & tips

– national & international flights